COLD WAR & PEACE BID

Biden offers Vlad summit amid tension over Ukraine

President Biden urged Vladimir Putin in a phone call Tuesday to pull back his troops from Russia’s border with Ukraine, and floated an in-person summit — even as a Kremlin foreign minister warned US Navy warships chugging toward the Black Sea to turn back “for their own good.”

The call, a “readout” of which was released by the White House, came less than a month after Biden branded Putin (above) a “killer” who would “pay a price” for alleged Russian interference in US elections.

During Tuesday’s call, Biden “made clear that the United States will act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to Russia’s actions, such as cyber intrusions and election interference,” according to the readout.

The commander-in-chief also “emphasized the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” and “voiced our concerns over the sudden Russian military buildup in Crimea and on Ukraine’s borders, calling on Russia to de-escalate tensions.”

During Russia’s recent massing of troops on the Ukraine border, the United States has deployed two warships to the Black Sea, in what the Pentagon says is a routine exercise.

To help lower the temperature, Biden suggested a possible summit in the coming months in a neutral third country.

The push for peace came hours after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned Washington to turn back its warships.

“The United States is our adversary and does everything it can to undermine Russia’s position on the world stage,” Ryabkov said Tuesday, according to Russian media outlets. “We do not see any other elements in their approach. Those are our conclusions.

“We warn the United States that it will be better for them to stay far away from Crimea and our Black Sea coast,” he continued. “It will be for their own good.”

Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, and now uses it as a strategic military position and base for its Black Sea naval fleet.

The Kremlin has recently deployed additional ground forces to its border with eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists have been locked in a bloody, yearslong battle with Ukrainian government troops.

The Pentagon has declined to discuss its reasons for moving firepower into the region, but noted that the Navy regularly patrols the Black Sea.

Ryabkov, though, remained unconvinced.

“There is absolutely nothing for American ships to be doing near our shores. This is purely a provocative action,” he was quoted as saying in Russian media. “Provocative in the direct sense of the word: They are testing our strength, playing on our nerves. They will not succeed.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, however, said Tuesday that the US goal is de-escalation.

“Our approach to our relationship with Russia is one where we certainly expect the relationship to remain a challenge,” she said. “We expect there will be continued difficult conversations. We are prepared to confront those.

“But our goal is to have a relationship with Russia that is predictable and stable.”

Part of that effort is finding common ground with the Kremlin, Psaki said, citing as an example cooperation to broker a new nucleararms deal with Iran.

Meanwhile Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin committed to deploying an additional 500 US troops to Germany, according to Politico.

Earlier this year, Biden announced he would reverse a decision by the Trump administration to withdraw up to 12,000 US troops from Germany.